so, i remember not understanding why nobody cared about climate change. to me, it was natural for the scientists to take a leadership role in shaping society. it wasn't even progress. i didn't even see it as debatable, really. it was just obvious that society should be run by scientists.
as an adult, i can look back at myself and label myself a technocrat. i do retain the term, sometimes. in fact, that was my initial point of interest in (scientific) socialism, whatever the oxymorons in the term, and however apparent that is to me, now. why were lawyers running the country? what did they know about science? liberals, conservatives....what's this boring shit....where's the science party?
you can imagine how crushed i was when i realized that most people looked not towards scientists and academics for leadership but towards athletes and entertainers. and, this is coming from somebody that has had a deep love of music for as long as i can remember, but that understood it for what it actually is. what the fuck was wrong with people? just another factor for misanthropy, for depression, for disassociation - or to withdraw...
even in my early 20s, i couldn't really grapple with the truth of it. i got it, but i didn't really get it. it wasn't until i was able to talk to some people from outside the continent that i was able to get my head around how abnormal the society really is. university professors can hold televised news conferences in prime time in france; in korea, scientists can generate rallies that can pack sports stadiums.
the issue become apparent to me: what i truly need to grapple with is what the fuck it is that is wrong with us.